Keep Me Warm
by The Muses of Mars
Summary: Yuri was excited to meet up with his friend, Otabek, over the holidays and do some sightseeing around New York City. But he was unprepared for how cold it would be in the city in winter...or for how Otabek would keep him warm. (OtaYuri; YuraBek; Otabek x Yurio)


Yuri stepped out of the hotel building and shivered as the icy winter air whipped through his hair and tossed the blond strands wildly around his face. He quickly pulled his hood over his head and zipped up his jacket. He'd been aware of the low temperature today, but he had plans with Otabek, so not even the cold could chase him back inside.

Otabek had texted him just a few minutes ago to say he was already outside and would buy them some hot chocolate from a pastry truck on the street. The two of them had flown to New York City to hang out and do some sightseeing for the holidays. Just because Yuri was used to the cold didn't mean he liked it, and he was grateful when he saw Otabek at the curb just down the block, tucking his wallet into his back pocket before reaching for two steaming styrofoam cups. Their eyes met from the short distance and Yuri couldn't fight back a smile. He tucked his chin into his collar to hide it and briefly waved a hand in greeting before shoving it into his pocket to keep it from being chapped by the wind.

They had come to the United States on different flights, so this was actually the first time they'd seen each other since arriving in New York. But as excited as Yuri felt, Otabek did not appear to share his enthusiasm. The taller man was walking towards him with a deep frown marring his handsome face.

When Otabek reached him, Yuri didn't have to try anymore to hide a smile, because it had faded away. He had been anxious to see his friend again for the first time after the Grand Prix Finals skating competition, during which Yuri had won the gold medal, and had wondered how they would greet each other: with a shake of hands, a hug? Now all Yuri could think to offer was a flat, "Hey." He kept his hands in his jacket pockets.

"Yuri," Otabek said sternly, looking him over. "Where is your coat? Aren't you cold? You must be; I can see your breath."

Yuri was taken aback, but come to think of it, Otabek was snugly bundled up in a black winter coat and had on a scarf and gloves, to boot.

"I d-d-didn't bring one with m-m-me," Yuri was forced to admit through chattering teeth. "Hadn't expected it to be this c-cold."

It was then he realized the expression on Otabek's face wasn't one of disappointment or annoyance or boredom; he was concerned.

"Are you serious?" Otabek pushed one of the cups at him immediately. "Here. Drink this. It will help a little."

Yuri accepted the drink with both hands, grateful for the heat that seeped from the cup to toast his palms.

"You can't stay out here all day in that thin little jacket. Come on," Otabek said, waving for Yuri to follow him. "There are plenty of shops on this street; let's find you a real coat."

"Uh…Otabek," Yuri said, scampering to keep up, "we have a lot of things to do this weekend, you know? I mean, I didn't budget for buying clothes."

"This is more important than souvenirs," Otabek said without hesitation. They walked to the end of the block when he spotted a men's clothing store across the street. They waited on the corner until the crosswalk light lit up, then Otabek threw an arm out to his side to block Yuri from bolting right into the street. Instead Otabek checked both directions for traffic, then to the younger man's surprise he took Yuri's hand and walked him safely across the street. Yuri was so surprised he didn't immediately return the pressure of Otabek's fingers around his, but as soon as they were safely out of the street and standing once more on the sidewalk, Otabek let go.

Otabek approached the shop and pulled open the front door, holding it for Yuri. Yuri looked up at the sign overhead. It read, "Giorgio's Classic Menswear."

"Otabek, I don't know," Yuri said hesitantly. "This place looks expensive."

"Go in," Otabek ordered, so Yuri did.

Inside, the shop was filled with men's designer suits, fashionable tuxedos, silk ties, and cashmere sweaters. This was definitely not the type of place Yuri typically shopped. He wasn't broke by any means, but when he bought clothes, it was because he liked the print or the design, not because it had a fancy name brand. "Otabek, let's get out of here," Yuri pleaded quietly as his friend followed him into the store and let the door close behind them. "I'm sure we can find an outlet mall or something cheaper than this."

"You need a coat, so I'm buying you a coat," Otabek gently argued. "It'll be your Christmas present, okay? So don't ask me to get you something cheap."

Yuri felt his face grow warm. "Oh… Okay."

"May I help you?" asked a voice.

The two young men turned to see a very well-dressed man approaching. His nametag read, "Richard."

Otabek placed a hand on Yuri's shoulder. "My friend needs a coat," he explained.

"Certainly. Right this way, gentlemen."

Otabek removed his hand from Yuri's shoulder to follow after the clerk, and Yuri almost shivered again. How was he able to feel Otabek's warmth through his friend's gloves? And why did he feel so cold each time Otabek let go?

"Doing some sightseeing today?" Richard asked as they trailed after him deeper into the store.

"Yes," Otabek answered.

"Then you'll definitely want something a bit warmer," the man agreed, glancing over his shoulder at Yuri in his black and leopard-print jacket. "Here we are," he announced, leading them to a corner with several racks of fancy coats and designer jackets. "Everything with a red tag is part of our after-Christmas sale; everything else is part of our new collection. Just let me know if you need any assistance."

Otabek nodded as the man left them and said, "Thanks."

"Good." Yuri sounded relieved. "Let me find something on sale."

He started towards the racks, but Otabek caught his arm. "Yuri," he argued, "just…find something you like. Okay?"

Yuri looked up but the expression Otabek wore made his face feel even hotter. "Can you hold my drink? And my jacket?"

"Of course." Otabek accepted the hot chocolate and held out his arm for Yuri to drape his thin jacket over it, then claimed a lounge chair next to a tie display and waited for Yuri to try on a few things, admiring him from his seat all the while.

Yuri felt a little guilty, but he tried not to look at the price tags dangling from the wrists of the coats as he tried them on. He considered a green one that matched the shamrock hue of his eyes, but it was uncomfortably long and seemed to squeeze his legs together when he walked over to a mirror to have a look at himself. He put it back and tried on a blue one that reminded him of the Russian flag, but the sleeves were too stiff and the wool fabric was itchy. He finally reached for a black one that fit him perfectly, and it looked stylish, too. He turned to Otabek with a questioning look. Would his friend think it looked good on him? "What do you think of this one?" he asked nervously.

"It's perfect." Otabek stood up and moved closer. His voice was very soft as he said, "It looks like it was made for you, Yuri."

Yuri felt his heart race at the compliment. He lifted his arm to look at the price attached to the sleeve. He didn't see any red on the tag. "Otabek, I don't think this is on sale—" he started to say. But Otabek distracted him by pushing Yuri's hot chocolate cup back into his hand. Then, wordlessly, Otabek ripped the tag off of the coat and crumpled it in his fist, preventing Yuri from seeing it.

Yuri stared at him with an open mouth as Otabek walked away. "Let's get you some gloves," his friend called back to him. "And a scarf."

Yuri was still stunned and trailed after Otabek in stupor. He let the other man choose a pair of black gloves and a black, white, and gray plaid scarf for him, then shuffled after Otabek to the cash register.

"Did you gentlemen find what you need?" Richard asked from behind the counter. Another man behind him was folding shirts and adding them to a wall display. Not a single one cost fewer than three-hundred American dollars.

Otabek nodded, setting the gloves and scarf down so they could be rung up. He also set the coat tag down and slid it across the counter toward the clerk. "He'll wear it."

"Very good." Richard began ringing up their purchases, then said, "All our toboggan hats are on sale for $9.99 today…"

Otabek turned to his friend. "Yuri, go pick out a hat," he instructed, and Yuri went. When he returned, Otabek ripped the tag from the hat and settled it over his head, carefully brushing strands of blond hair out of Yuri's eyes. "Let's go," he said, apparently having paid without letting Yuri hear exactly how much.

Back outside on the street, Yuri held Otabek's drink while his friend tucked his jacket into his backpack for him. "Otabek, I didn't mean for you to buy all this."

"How could I let you freeze to death on the street? What kind of friend would I be then?"

Yuri couldn't argue with that.

They were finally free to explore the city. There was more to do in New York than they could ever accomplish in just a few days, so they made sure to hit the highlights and skipped the souvenir shops. Yuri had intended to buy some tchotchkes while on vacation, but Otabek's generous sacrifice had made him have a change of heart. "That crap's all made in China, anyway," he just shrugged as they passed by yet another tourist trap.

They caught a double-decker tour bus in Midtown Manhattan and drove through Times Square before visiting the Rockefeller Center to tour Radio City Music Hall. Afterwards the pair enjoyed lunch at a buffet-style restaurant along Fifth Avenue called "Bread and Butter." Next they took a stroll in scenic Madison Square Park, and from there it was only a ten-minute walk to reach the Empire State Building. Next they headed to the harbor and caught a ferry to see Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. They ended their day with a luxury cruise back to Pier 17 and dined on a delicious meal served on the ship.

Otabek posed for selfies with Yuri as his excitable companion went a little camera crazy and spammed his Instagram account all day long with more than a hundred photos of the two of them storming the city. By the time the sun was setting, they were both tired out. But Yuri wasn't quite willing to part with Otabek's company. Even if his friend was reserved and didn't say much, it made Yuri happy just being together. Otabek didn't have to say a word for Yuri to know he was enjoying their day, too; he could tell by the sparkle in Otabek's chocolaty caramel eyes.

As the sun sank below the city skyline, the temperature dropped even further. The coat, hat, scarf, and gloves Otabek had bought him were warm, but Yuri was still colder than was comfortable as they walked slowly back in the direction of their hotel.

"Hey—why don't we get some dessert?" Yuri asked when their building became visible in the distance.

Otabek's eyes widened in surprise. "Aren't you full?"

"…No," Yuri said, looking away embarrassedly. "There's an ice cream shop on the corner. Let's go!"

"Yuri, it's nineteen degrees out here," Otabek reminded him.

"Oh. Oh, yeah."

"How about a coffee, instead?"

Yuri smiled.

They killed thirty minutes in a quaint little café, listening to Christmas-inspired jazz music and warming themselves with piping hot coffee while they engaged in pleasant conversation. Too soon, it was time to leave.

Outside again, it felt even colder.

"Hey—look at that!" Yuri said suddenly, pointing at a souvenir shop. "We didn't buy anything frivolous all day. Can I get you something, to remember our trip by?"

"Yuri, I won't ever forget it," Otabek assured him. His gaze was so intense, Yuri looked away.

"Yeah, but…you got me such a nice Christmas gift, and I didn't get you anything. Let me find you something fun to take home to Kazakhstan and show your friends!" This time Yuri was the one to reach for Otabek's hand, and Otabek reluctantly let himself be dragged into the gift shop.

One miniature Statue of Liberty and "I Heart New York" T-shirt later, the couple was back out in the cold.

"Hey, Otabek," Yuri said, pointing out yet another store. "Want to check that out?"

Otabek's eyes followed the direction his friend's finger was pointing and he frowned. "Yuri, that's another café. Is something going on?"

In spite of how cold it was, Yuri felt heat rising to his face. "No!" he said, a little too quickly. "I'm just cold."

"Then we should get back to the hotel where it's warm."

Yuri gave a little shrug. "I guess so," he murmured weakly.

They stood there, staring at each other in silence. Then, all of a sudden, Otabek's arms were around Yuri, drawing him close.

Yuri gasped in surprise.

"You don't have to keep running into cafés to buy coffee just to warm up," Otabek said. Yuri couldn't see his face, but he could hear the smile in the tone of his voice. "My hugs are warm. And they're free."

Yuri definitely felt warm now. After a moment his arms slowly lifted, winding around Otabek's waist.

Otabek continued, "And our date doesn't have to end, just because we get back to our hotel."

Yuri's heart was pounding. Otabek's embrace was equally firm and gentle, just as he had imagined it would be. There was no hesitation, only warmth and the quiet strength Otabek always exuded. In spite of being in a huge, foreign city, Yuri had never felt so safe. He licked his chapped lips. "Is this…a date?" he dared ask.

"I didn't come to New York to see the sights, Yuri," Otabek breathed into his ear, "I came to see _you_."

His eyes shining, Yuri hugged Otabek harder. "Then…let's get back to the hotel, before we freeze to death!"

Otabek finally released his hold on the other man. He gave him a gentle look and reached for his hand, leading the way. This time he didn't let go.


End file.
